MLB Player News

Montgomery (2-2) allowed four earned runs on five hits and one walk while striking out two across two-thirds of an inning to take the loss Wednesday against the Rays.

Montgomery's outing was almost immediately over as he allowed each of the first four batters he faced to score. While he did manage two strikeouts and appeared in line to escape the disastrous inning, he instead walked a batter and was yanked after 39 pitches. It was a disappointing outing for Montgomery, who was entering the game on a decent run, allowing six earned runs across 14.2 innings in his last three starts. He'll look to bounce back in his next turn through the rotation, currently projected for Monday at Toronto.

Morton allowed no hits and two walks while striking out four across two innings Wednesday against the Yankees. He did not factor into the decision.

Morton threw 36 pitches in his first game action since Aug. 9. He showed some rust as only 20 of his 36 pitches found the zone, but was still effective overall. Perhaps most importantly, he was regularly hitting 95 mph with his fastball at the beginning of his outing, with his velocity fading a bit as his pitch count rose. Morton will likely remain on a limited pitch count in his next outing, currently projected for Tuesday at the Nationals.

McKenzie (2-0) pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while striking out six in a win over the Royals on Wednesday.

McKenzie only allowed one extra-base hit, an Alex Gordon double, but he otherwise gave the Royals nothing. The 23-year-old McKenzie is making himself known with a 1.69 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 19 strikeouts across 16 innings. With Mike Clevinger shipped to San Diego, McKenzie will likely finish the season in the rotation. His next start is expected to be Tuesday in a rematch with the Royals.

Allard (0-4) was charged with the loss against the Astros on Wednesday, allowing two runs on two hits and a pair of walks while striking out four across seven innings.

After surrendering an early two-run homer to Michael Brantley in the first inning, Allard prevented any additional damage, stretching his outing to the longest of the season. Once again, the southpaw showed a glimmer of potential. During his last outing against the A's, Allard took a no-hitter into the sixth before giving up two runs. Despite the improved performance, the 23-year-old remains winless on the season. He'll look to bounce back Monday at Seattle.

Javier (4-1) picked up the win Wednesday after holding the Rangers to one run on two hits and a pair of walks while striking out three across 6.2 innings.

Javier came out hot with a seven-pitch first inning and held the Rangers scoreless until the fourth, when he gave up a solo home run to Isiah Kiner-Falefa. It was the first right-handed base hit against his slider this year. Overall, the 23-year-old rookie tossed five clean innings en route to the longest outing of his career. Javier, who leads the Houston starters with four wins, will carry a 3.35 ERA and 0.96 WHIP into a Monday matchup at Oakland.

Hart was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hip impingement Wednesday, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Hart had a rough outing out of the bullpen Tuesday, and he was apparently hampered by an injury that will keep him sidelined for at least 10 days. Given his usage Tuesday, the southpaw will likely pitch out of the bullpen once he returns. Right-hander Andrew Triggs was recalled from the team's alternate training site in a corresponding move.

Turnbull (back) is starting Wednesday against the Brewers.

Turnbull received some extra rest while dealing with a stiff back, but he'll be able to make his scheduled start in Milwaukee on Wednesday. The right-hander carries a 2.97 ERA and 1.32 ERA through 30.1 innings this year.

Manager Bob Melvin named Luzardo as the starter for Friday's series opener versus the Padres, Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Luzardo was on track to make a start last weekend against the Astros, but a positive COVID-19 test within the organization scratched those plans. With the Athletics cancelling their series with the Mariners to begin the current week out of an abundance of precaution, Luzardo will finally return to action Friday on 10 days' rest. Over his seven appearances (five starts) this season, Luzardo has posted a 3.74 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 34:13 K:BB over 33.2 innings.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde suggested Means wouldn't face any limitations with his pitch count in Wednesday's start against the Mets, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

When Means left the team for about two weeks in the first half of August, the Orioles deliberately eased him back in with limited workloads in his first three turns through the rotation following his activation. He pushed up to 75 pitches (and four innings) in his most recent start Aug. 28, so he should be ready to handle a normal starter's workload Wednesday and in any subsequent outings.

The Rays activated Morton (shoulder) from the 10-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start Wednesday against the Yankees, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Morton will return to the rotation for the first time since Aug. 9 after missing time due to right shoulder inflammation. The Rays haven't specified where exactly Morton stands in his buildup program, so he could face a more limited pitch count than normal in his first start in three and a half weeks.